Sanitary and disposable receptacle for bedpans



1965 J. TESSER 3,199,119

SANITARY AND DISPOSABLE RECEPTACLE FOR BEDPANS Filed Feb. 19, 1963 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 0 3,199,119 SANITARY AND DISPOSABLE RECEPTACLE FOR BEDPANS Jack Tesser, Gordons Corner, Engiishtown, NJ. Filed Feb. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 259,608 3 Claims. (Cl. 4-113) This invention relates to a bed pan, a disposable insert for said bed pan, and a combination of a bed pan and disposable insert.

The main object of the present invention is to provide means which will eliminate the untidiness asscociated with the use of a bed pan. The deposit of eliminated Wastes directly in a bed pan, as is Well known, requires a thorough washing of the bed pan after each occasion of use, and it is this particular situation that the present invention is designed to eliminate.

In accordance with the invention, there is a novel bed pan which could, if desired, be used in the same manner as a conventional bed pan, that is, it can be employed alone, as a receptacle for the eliminated wastes. However, by reason of the invention a disposable insert can be readily placed in the bed pan, to receive the Wastes, after which said insert and the wastes can be thrown away together without any contact of the wastes with the bed pan. Therefore, the necessity of washing and perhaps, sterilizing of the bed pan after each use is completely eliminated.

Another object of importance is to provide a disposable insert which can be manufactured at very low cost, so as to be capable of being manufactured and packaged in substantial quantities.

Still another object is to so form the insert that it will occupy a minimum amount of space when in its stacked or packaged condition, while awaiting use.

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a bed pan embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the bed pan shown in FIG. 1-3 has been generally designated 10, and includes a rectangular receptacle 11' formed With a flat, rectangular bottom wall 12, vertically upwardly extending side walls 14-, a vertically upwardly extending back wall 16' connected to the side walls 14' through the provision of rounded corner portions 17', and a vertical front Wall 18'. The front Wall 18' and back wall 16 are perpendicular to the side walls, providing the rectangular configuration to the receptacle.

The wall 18', extends only half the height of the side and back Walls, thus providing at the front of the bed pan a transversely extending insert opening or slot disposed below the seat 21' of the bed pan.

Seat 21 is disposed in a plane parallel to that of the bottom wall 12', and is approximately U-shaped, being open at its front. In accordance with the invention, the seat is of a molded material such as plastic, and is molded directly onto the top edge portions of the side and back Walls 14 and 16', respectively (see FIG. 1). With the side and back walls embedded in the underside of the seat 21', a highly durable, strong construction is provided.

The legs 80 of seat 21' are straight. An auxiliary seat 82 smaller in dimensions than the seat 21 and flatter in cross section, with its undersurface conforming to the shape of the outer upper surface of the seat 21', is seated on the seat 21. The auxiliary seat 82 is formed with elongated slits 84 extending substantially the length of the legs 86 thereof and intersecting the ends of the legs, thereby defining elongated fingers 88, round in crosssection.

In accordance with the invention, a flexible insert 99 is clamped between the fingers 88 and legs 86 of the auxiliary seat 82. The insert 9% is preferably formed from a blank of relatively thin paper or cardboard Waxed or otherwise treated to make the same impervious to the passage of moisture. The blank is cut away along its peripheral edges as indicated at 92 thereby defining edge flaps 94 and 96. In positioning the insert, the blank is shaped to conform to the shape of the rectangular receptacle 11' and its flaps 94 threaded through the slits, 84 and above resting on the outer surface of the auxiliary seat 82, and its flap 96 positioned above and pressed against the bight portion 98 of the auxiliary seat 82 as seen in FIG. 16'. When the blank is so shaped the body thereof defines a large receptacle portion 66 disposed in the receptacle 11'.

In assembling the bed pan 10', the auxiliary seat 82 with the insert 90 attached is seated on the seat 21' so that the receptacle 66' occupies the larger area of the receptacle 11. In use, the flaps 94 and 96 afford protection for the user of the bedpan. After use, the insert 90 can be readily removed and folded by means of the flaps and the remaining edges thereby concealing and supporting the wastes, whereupon the insert may be discarded in its closed folded condition together with the wastes confined therein.

The insert is characterized by its very low cost, its adaptability for manufacture by mass production methods, and its further adaptability to be stacked in a compact package, though in considerable quantities, while awaiting use.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent 1s:

1. A bed pan comprising a generally rectangular shaped receptacle, a main substantially U-shaped seat extending about the top portion of the sides and back of the receptacle, said receptacle including side and back walls embedded in the underside of the seat, an auxiliary substantially U-shaped seat extending about and seated upon the main seat, said auxiliary seat formed with slits along its side legs for substantially the length thereof and intersecting the ends thereof, thereby defining elongated fingers, an insert carried by said auxiliary seat, said insert constituted by a blank of flexible cardboard shaped to conform to the shape of the rectangular-shape receptacle and disposed in said receptacle, opposed peripheral flaps on the blank threaded through the slits in the auxiliary seat and the fingers thereof, and an end flap on the blank extending over the bight portion of the auxiliary seat.

2. A bedpan comprising a generally rectangular shaped receptacle, a main substantially U-shaped seat extending about the top portion of the sides and back of the receptacle, said receptacle including side and back Walls embedded in the underside of the seat, an auxiliary substantially U-shaped seat extending about and seated upon the main seat, said auxiliary seat formed with slits along its side legs for susbtantially the length thereof and intersecting the ends thereof, an insert carried by said auxiliary seat, said insert constituted by a blank of flexible cardboard shaped to conform to the shape of the rectangularshaped receptacle and disposed in said receptacle, opposed peripheral flaps on the blank, means for clamping said flaps in said slits, and an end flap on the blank extending over the bight portion of the auxiliary seat.

3. A device of the kind described comprising a main 23 toilet seat having an opening therein, an auxiliary member detachably connected to the main seat to be supported therefrom, said auxiliary member having fingerlike means extending substantially throughout the length of the auxiliary seat on both sides thereof for supporting a thin disposable insert removably carried by said means, said insert including a flexible sheet body conforming generaily in shape to the shape of the seat and adapted to underlie the opening thereof, the opposite sides of said flexible sheet body shaped to coact with said finger-like means for holding the sheet in position on the auxiliary member and a formation on at least one of the ends of the sheet to close the end thereof,

References Cited by the Examiner 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,388,155 8/21 Abraham 4-1l2 2,188,844 1/40 Pedersen 4113 2,320,845 6/43 Bolton 4-112 10 LEVJIS J. LENNY, Primary Examiner.

EDVARD V. BENHAIVI, Examiner. 

1. A BED PAN COMPRISING A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR SHAPED RECTACLE, A MAIN SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED SEAT EXTENDING ABOUT THE TOP PORTION OF THE SIDES AND BACK OF THE RECEPTACLE, SAID RECEPTACLE INCLUDING SIDE AND BACK WALLS EMBEDDED IN THE UNDERSIDE OF THE SEAT, AN AUXILIARY SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED SEAT EXTENDING ABOUT AND SEATED UPON THE MAIN SEAT, SAID AUXILIARY SEAT FORMED WITH SLITS ALONG ITS SIDE LEGS FOR SUBSTANTIALLY THE LENGTH THEREOF AND INTERSECTING THE ENDS THEREOF, THEREBY DEFINING ELONGATED FINGERS. 